The present invention relates generally to a novel method of adjusting the sighting for a velocity measurement system wherein efficient use of the velocity measurement system is enhanced since time, resources and effort involved in proper use of a velocity measurement unit is reduced.
For years, avid sportsmen and other individuals engaged in activities involving projectiles have shown an interest in the speed-reading of projectiles and in quantifying the velocity of projectiles. Velocity measurement systems serve a purpose of measuring the velocity of projectiles. Generally, computerized velocity measurement systems measure the velocity of a projectile in a portion of the projectile's trajectory. Projectile velocity is deemed an important criterion in the shooting art and is taken into account when aiming or sighting a projectile launched from a trajectory guide.
By way of example and not limiting the scope of the present invention, sporting rifle shooters often use velocity measurement units referred to as chronographs. Not long ago, chronographs experienced limited demand and availability since initially they were pricey, difficult to handle and difficult to use. Currently chronographs are readily available, affordable and often fold into compact, portable units. The present invention resolves a primary hurdle that continued to exist before now and wedged potential demand for chronographs and current market demand for chronographs.
A velocity measurement system determines an elapsed time of a projectile between spaced intercepts along a portion of the projectile's trajectory. That is, a velocity measurement system operates on the principle of measuring the transit time of an object traveling from a first photo sensor to a second photo sensor. The general class of velocity measurement systems for which this invention relates uses an electronic velocity measurement unit having at least two photo sensors separated by a predetermined trajectory path distance. The photo sensors are aligned orthogonally with respect to the projectile's trajectory. The first of such photo sensors is located at the front of the velocity measurement unit and the second photo sensor is located at the back of the velocity measurement unit.
The photo sensors detect the passage of a projectile by sensing the change in the amount of light, the momentary change in light intensity. The photo sensors are mounted in a velocity measurement unit. The two photo sensors gather light through two respective and associated windows in the top of the velocity measurement unit. The photo sensors, respectively, detect light directly above for a finite distance. Light blockage caused by a projectile passing over the photo sensors is converted to a signal detected by the velocity measurement unit. The elapsed time between the photo sensors is converted to velocity and the velocity measurement unit displays the velocity measurement.
While computerized velocity measurement systems have the capability to inform regarding the velocity of projectiles—including identifying the slowest projectile in a string of projectiles, the fastest projectile in a string of projectiles, the average velocity of any string of projectiles, the extreme spread and the standard deviation of velocity—such information is available only if the projectile properly passes the photo sensors of the velocity measurement system. That is, a substantial amount of quantified information is available to the velocity measurement system user upon accurate use of the velocity measurement system. Before the sight adjuster of the present invention, the effectiveness of a computerized velocity measurement system significantly depended on the skill of the user launching a projectile. One's ability to aim a trajectory guide adequately for launching a projectile across sensory areas along a course pre-selected by the velocity measurement unit profoundly impacts one's use and enjoyment of a velocity measurement system.
The prior art teaches that successfully obtaining a projectile's velocity is a particularly tedious task since numerous variables associated with the task include considering the specific projectile trajectory guide, the specific projectile and its features, change in slope over the portion of the projectile's trajectory involved in a velocity measurement. In particular, before the present invention, level surfaces were encouraged for effective use of most electronic velocity measurement systems. The variables involved in using a velocity measurement system often impede the effectiveness of the velocity measurement system and result in factor errors. The results of improper sighting of a velocity measurement system include factor errors when the shadow of a projectile crosses only one photo sensor, “no readings” when the projectile crosses none of the photo sensor areas and incorrect velocity measurements when an improper sensory area is crossed by the projectile.
An easy method for using the typical computerized velocity measurement systems has eluded the marketplace. There have been numerous attempts to solve this quandary, however, until now there has not been a definitive solution. The prior art is composed of products that are ineffective, inefficient, cumbersome, costly to produce, highly technical, complicated, extensively time consuming to use, limited in use, costly to use and lacking practical application.
The prior art is limited and the present invention is an alternative to the prior art.